Food waste (FW) is a key challenge on the sustainable development agenda of countries worldwide. The lack of FW data and insights from its analysis about quantities, causes, and characteristics is a significant obstacle in implementing adequate reduction and prevention interventions for different sectors. The primary purpose of the case studies was to review FW prevention, reduction, and management initiatives. Lessons and best practices that enable and facilitate solutions were identified. Nine case studies were conducted targeting five sectors: food services (one restaurant and one hotel), wholesale markets (one fruits and vegetables wholesale market), retailers (one retail market, one retail shop, and one supermarket), caterers (one hospital), and households (five middle- and five high-income households). The case studies consisted of a FW audit that measured the amounts generated from various processes and identified drivers/causes and current best practices. Quantification involved physical separation, weighing, and categorizing the different food components. The separation classified quantities into edible and inedible portions. The study also focused on assessing the environmental and socio impacts, based on assessed and categorized FW quantities.FW is a complex phenomenon where the amount, causes and consequences are contextually different. It is not easy to compare and contrast country-level data and the individual actors in the same country. Therefore, the case study approach has been used in many FW-related studies. Multiple case studies can be expensive and time-consuming to implement. Under this study, we analyzed nine case studies targeting five sectors: food services (four restaurants, a dessert shop and one hotel), wholesale markets (one fruit and vegetable market ), retail markets (one supermarket, one fruit and vegetable retailer, one Dedicated Economic Center), caterers/institutional canteens (one hospital) and households (five middle-income households and five low-income households). Entities were selected based on willingness to participate and an actual FW reduction need.

Mapping stakeholders and their potential roles for prevention and reduction of food waste (FW) supports a coherent, coordinated and complementary approach to quantification, causes identification, and scaling up of feasible solutions for significant returns on investment. State and non-state stakeholders were mapped in selected municipalities: Colombo metropolitan area (Colombo, Sri Jayewardenepura-Kotte, Negombo, Kaduwela, and Moratuwa Municipal council areas), Jaffna, Kandy, Batticoloa, Kurunegala, and Galle. Stakeholders were grouped into four clusters: producers, enterprises/food business operators, private/public/civil society organizations, and households. The stakeholders’ maps guided sensitization and capacity-building sessions whose conclusions fed into the preparation of the National Roadmap on Urban Food Waste Prevention and Reduction for Households, Food services, Retailers, and Wholesalers launched on 17 August 2021. According to the analysis, the institutions working on food and/or (bio-)waste can be divided into governmental, semi-governmental, private, and non-governmental. Food safety, quality control, and waste management in Sri Lanka is under the umbrella of the Central Government, Provincial Council (PC), and Local Authorities (LAs) that cover governance (e.g. policies and regulations), production, trade, input supply, services, welfare support, and research. However, duties and responsibilities are, sometimes, crosscutting and interrelated with overlaps that can lead to poor coordination. An array of institutions at central and provincial levels are engaged to strengthen the food production sector in Sri Lanka. The existing inter-institutional coordination mechanism could be improved. The coordination for knowledge generation and dissemination between national and provincial systems should be strengthened. The report was produced for the project "Innovative approaches to reduce, recycle, and reuse FW in urban Sri Lanka", implemented under the oversight of the Ministry of Urban Development and Housing, in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) from June 2019 to August 2021.

This catalogue aims to improve the dissemination and outreach of FAO’s knowledge products and overall publishing programme. By providing information on its key publications in every area of FAO’s work, and catering to a range of audiences, it thereby contributes to all organizational outcomes. From statistical analysis to specialized manuals to children’s books, FAO publications cater to a diverse range of audiences. This catalogue presents a selection of FAO’s main publications, produced in 2023 or earlier, ranging from its global reports and general interest publications to numerous specialized titles. In addition to the major themes of agriculture, forestry and fisheries, it also includes thematic sections on climate change, economic and social development, and food safety and nutrition.

Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 12.3 of the UN 2030 Agenda calls for halving per capita global food waste (FW) from retail to households. Food waste (FW) prevention and reduction play a major role in ensuring the sustainability of food systems as well as effective Solid Waste Management (SWM). A coherent, coordinated, and complementary approach to quantification causes identification, and scaling up feasible solutions is necessary. Awareness-raising and capacity development for food supply chain actors, the public sector, and civil society organizations is required for successful interventions. The Project Innovative approaches to reduce, recycle and reuse FW in urban Sri Lanka was implemented under the oversight of the Ministry of Urban Development, and Housing in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) from June 2019 to August 2021.The project produced a series of reports and papers including FAO and IWMI (2021a), FAO and IWMI (2021b), FAO and IWMI (2021c), and FAO and IWMI (2021d) that were used in the awareness creation and capacity development programmes. The major output of the Project was to facilitate knowledge development for and drafting of the Urban Roadmap on FW Prevention, Reduction, Management in Sri Lanka, that includes a comprehensive Action Plan with Monitoring and Evaluation criteria.The objective of this report is to summarize the proceedings of the consultations and sensitization sessions conducted from June 2019 to June 2021.

Mohamed Aheeyar, International Water Management Institute, Colombo, Sri Lanka Nilanthi Jayathilake, International Water Management Institute, Colombo, Sri Lanka Camelia Bucatariu, Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations, Rome, Italy Maren Reitemeier, International Water Management Institute, Colombo, Sri Lanka Ayomi Bandara, International Water Management Institute, Colombo, Sri Lanka Felix Thiel, International Water Management Institute, Colombo, Sri Lanka Pay Drechsel, International Water Management Institute, Colombo, Sri Lanka

This report explores and analyses the governance framework (i.e. policies, laws, and regulations) relevant to urban food waste (FW) prevention and reduction in the wholesale, retail, hospitality (restaurants, hotels), food services (schools, hospitals), and households in Sri Lanka. The project Innovative approaches to reduce, recycle and reuse food waste in urban Sri Lanka was implemented from June 2019 to August 2021 under the oversight of the Ministry of Urban Development and Housing and in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the International Water Management Institute (IWMI). Sri Lanka generates around 7 000 tonnes of solid waste per day. From the total solid waste generated, approximately 65–66 percent, by weight, is organic waste. The proportion of food waste (FW) generated in a local authority (LA) area ranges from 50–69 percent of the total waste with an average of 56.56 percent. According to this average value, the estimated total FW generated in the country is around 3 955 tonnes per day. The country faces many challenges in tackling the FW issue also due to gaps in governance. Governance analysis allows a comprehensive understanding of state and non-state challenges and solutions towards FW prevention and reduction. Currently, the governance framework for food safety and quality and (bio-)waste management is under the umbrella of the central government, provincial council (PC), and local authorities (LAs). Additionally, several central and provincial government agencies perform tasks related to (bio-)waste management. Under the 13th amendment made to the constitution of 1987, LAs are under the purview of PCs. The PCs are responsible to help and guide the LAs in the execution of waste and sanitation-related activities. The PCs are empowered to make all decisions on capacity building, resource allocation, adoption of provincial-level policies, and establishing appropriate institutional arrangements to handle the delegated tasks of waste management.